


Semper Fi

by emocezi



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen, mentions of hetero relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-28
Updated: 2011-11-28
Packaged: 2017-10-26 15:13:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/284749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emocezi/pseuds/emocezi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once Stiles realized he had no place in the pack, he joined the Marines.  He's back in town and seeing his old friends for the first time in years.</p><p>Written for a prompt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Semper Fi

It's been close to a year and a half since Stiles has been back in Beacon Hills. He's been stateside for a month and its only now that he's home from his latest tour of duty in North Korea.

He'd made the choice to join the Marines a year after he'd graduated high-school and realized that there was nothing waiting for him except empty years of college and watching Scott, Jackson and Lydia grow into a pack while he watched from the outside and wondered why he wasn't good enough.

This was his third tour of duty, his tenth year in the marines, and his recent promotion had landed him the rank of 1st Lieutenant, a rank he was proud of, one he'd fought tooth and nail to obtain and one he would fight to keep.

XxX XxX

Stiles had made arrangements to rent an apartment for the duration of his time back in Beacon Hills. His father had offered up his old room, and though Stiles wanted to take him up on his offer, he knew it wouldn't have been the right choice.

He didn't need to subject his father to the nightmares he had, waking up drenched in sweat and calling out orders to the man he'd been unable to save.

He'd barely unpacked his duffle when someone knocked on his door, and Stiles knew without a doubt it would be Scott. He half wanted to ignore the other man, wanted to take the time to relax and get accustomed to civilian life.

Instead he went to the door, swinging it open and watching his friend. Scott smiled at him, and Stiles forced himself to smile back. He let Scott hug him, barely hiding his wince when his still tender scars twinged.

He'd taken a chest full of shrapnel a month before when his second, Kevin Tyler had made the unfortunate mistake of stepping on a land mine, hidden under the heavy carpet of leaf litter. Stiles had been far enough away to survive the initial blast, but the pellets and nails the mine had been loaded with had nearly ended his life.

It was only thanks to a skilled corpsman and a group of doctors in Germany that he had made it home. And now, he was on orders to rest and recuperate. He'd have the option of retiring or taking a desk job when he went back, but his men needed him, and he wasn't about to let someone else lead his Marines into battle.

"How are you Stiles? It's been a while."

"Sure has." Stiles rocked back on his heels, fixing his eyes on a spot beside Scott and wondering how he was supposed to act. Was he supposed to pretend the last ten years hadn't happened and they were still as close as they'd been in high school?

"So listen, the pack is getting together, do you wanna come out and see everyone? Lydia's been asking about you."

"How about another time? I'm still unpacking."

"Unpacking what? You're dad said you only had one bag. Come on man, we haven't seen you in two years. Even Jackson misses you." Stiles crossed his arms, watching Scott with a stony expression until the other man's good humor faded.

"Tomorrow night okay. Montana's. You can being who ever you want."

"Sure. Sounds good." Scott smiled again, looking so much younger then Stiles felt, despite the fact that they were the same age. "It's good to have you home." Stiles nodded, staying silent and patting Scott on the shoulder before he closed the door in his friends face.

XxX XxX

It was the noise that woke him. The gentle scraping of the window being opened from the outside.

He had a pretty good idea of who it was, but it didn't stop him from rolling soundlessly out of bed and grabbing the Ka-bar he had placed under his pillow.

He crouched in the shadows, keeping his breath low and even while he waited for the perfect moment to strike. Derek stepped in through the open window and scented the air, half lit up by the street lights outside.

Stiles waited until he was in striking distance and stood, the knife tucked up against his forearm, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Derek stopped and for a moment they watched each other, both seeming to test the other, waiting for a reaction. Finally Derek took a step back, sitting on the bed and watching Stiles as he flicked on the light switch, never taking his eyes off the wolf.

"What?" Stiles demanded, feeling Derek's eyes taking in all his scars. Cataloguing his injuries and probably wondering what had caused them.

"Scott said you were home."

"Yeah, did he also tell you it's bad for your health to sneak up on a Marine?" Stiles snapped. He'd been scared of Derek when he was younger, but he'd seen and done to much to be afraid of the wolf any longer. Derek was only a vague threat, and Stiles had his own weapons to combat the wolf's. Teeth and claws were no match for a ka-bar and martial arts.

"Why didn't you come with him?"

"Because I just got into town."

"You should have come." Stiles said nothing, just watched Derek, cataloging his movements, prepared to fight back if he needed to. "Scott missed you."

"Scott's never once returned a letter or an email. If he missed me, he's bad at showing it."

"You should have come."

"Go away Derek. I'm really not in the mood for this."

Derek nodded slowly and stood, stepping forward into Stiles' space. "Scott wasn't the only one that missed you." He said after a moment, then turned, ducking out the window and into the night.

Stiles growled under his breath and shut off the light, moving to the window to slam it shut and climbing back into bed. He didn't have the patience for any of Derek's passive agressive bullshit, not now.

XxX XxX

Stiles arrived at Montana's the next night at the same time as Scott and Allison. It wasn't s surprise they were still together, but it was a shock to see her heavily pregnant. She had the glow expectant mothers shared around the globe and Stiles found himself smiling at her, even accepting the hug she pulled him into.

"It's so good to see you. Scott and I worry constantly when you get deployed."

"It's good to see you too Allison. No one told me you were pregnant."

"Oh no, geez. This is my third."

"...Congratulations." Stiles smiled woodenly and held the door open so Allison and Scott could go on ahead. Just like old times, no one told him anything and acted surprised when he kicked up a fuss at being left out in the cold.

The rest of the pack was already sitting, and the only place left open was right next to Derek. Stiles shoved his irritation down and sat, prepared to make obnoxious small talk about how happy everyone was for the next three hours.

"Didn't you get blown up? I thought I read that somewhere." Jackson blurted out after their drink orders had been taken. The entire table went silent and Stiles ground his teeth until his jaw ached, fighting the urge to leap across the table and gut Jackson.

"I got hit with shrapnel." He wasn't about to say anything to them about Kevin.

"What was it? Landmine? IU-"

"None of your fucking business Jackson." Stiles snapped, Derek growled out a warning and Stiles snarled back at him.

"Sorry, I was just curious." He tried an apologetic smile and Stiles sneered at him. Sanctimonious prick was still terrified of his own shadow. Stiles didn't need a werewolf's sense of smell to figure that out.

"How long are you in town?" Lydia gave him an appraising look and Stiles raised an eyebrow at her before dismissing her entirely and looking down at his menu. It was meant to cut deeply, and he knew it had.

"For a month currently. I'm on six months probation. My doctor told me to come somewhere familiar."

"Why aren't you staying for the full six months?" Jackson again, no doubt trying to weasel his way into Stiles' good graces. Stiles shrugged, offering no comment and stayed silent until the waitress came back to drop off drinks and take their food orders.

He stayed quiet through most of dinner, speaking only when spoken too and letting the pack deal with themselves. He was still an outsider, but it didn't hurt as much as it once had. He'd found his place with his brothers in arms.

When the cheque came Stiles dropped his share of money on the table and stood, slipping on his jacket, not even bothering with excuses. He just wanted to get out of here, go back to his apartment and watch mind numbing TV until he fell asleep. If he was lucky he wouldn't dream about watching Kevin burst like a human water balloon.

"Stiles, wait." Derek followed him out into the parking lot and Stiles fought the urge to roll his eyes. It was a little too late to offer him special attention, he wasn't the affection starved child he'd once been.

"Derek, it's been real. Good company, good food."

"If you need to talk to someone about-"

"I have someone to talk to, but thanks for the offer." Stiles narrowed his eyes and got up in Derek's personal space, stabbing his chest with a finger. "Next time you feel like visiting me in the middle of the night, use the fucking door. You come in through my window again and you'll be using that healing ability of yours." Derek rumbled a warning growl and Stiles snorted.

Derek's eyes narrowed and he grabbed for Stiles' arm, no doubt intent on proving his dominance by slamming Stiles' head against the nearest available hard surface like he’d done for years before Stiles had left.

Stiles reacted instantly, grabbing Derek’s wrist and twisting out of his grip. He hooked a leg behind Derek’s knee and pulled sharply, tugging the wolf off balance and shoving him to the ground with a shark blow to the sternum.

Derek stayed on the ground for a single heartbeat and rather then launch the counterattack Stiles had been expecting. The wolf simply stood, watching him with a new found respect. Stiles didn’t wait for a dismissal, refusing to acknowledge any authority Derek might have once had over him.

XxX XxX


End file.
